Lankan fishermen arrested in Myanmar return

A group of fishermen who had been arrested by the Myanmar coast guards were repatriated to Sri Lanka today morning.

The group consisted of 15 Sri Lankan fishermen who had been held captive at Myanmar prions were released and sent to Sri Lanka. They arrived at the Bandaranaike International Airport.

As they reached the Katunayake airport the fishermen were arrested by Katunayake Airport officers of the human trafficking, smuggling investigation and Maritime crime investigation division.

The fishermen were identified as residents of Katuneriya, Maravilla, Uswetakeiyawa Kurunegala areas and were in the ages of 18 to 50 years.  

 According to airport sources seven fishermen out of the group of fifteen had gone to sea for fishing on October 23, 2023 from the Wennappuwa area.

The rest of the eight fishermen had gone to the sea from Kalpitiya, Puttalam on November 07, 2023.

The vessels that these fishermen traverse the sea had been subjected to technical issues at the mid sea and had been drifting on the sea, when they were arrested by the Myanmar coast guard officials.

 The fishermen were sent from Myanmar on Thai airline flight T.G -307 flight yesterday early hours.

As the fishermen had not gone abroad through a recognized airport or a sea port they were charged for not leaving the country through a recognized port and were produced to Negombo Magistrate courts and released on bail.